Formula: Mg₂Al(AlSiO₅)(OH)₄  Chemically similar to sudoite and clinochlore.

Species: Silicates – (Phyllosilicates)

Colour: Originally pale grayish blue-green, also white, colourless, pale green, pink to lilac (chromian)

Lustre: Resinous, Waxy, Greasy, Sub-Metallic

Hardness: 2½ – 3

Specific Gravity: 2.77 – 2.78

Crystal System: Triclinic

Member of: Serpentine Subgroup > Kaolinite-Serpentine Group

Name: Named in 1876 by Charles Upham Shepard in honor of James Tyler Ames [1810 Lowell, – 1883], who was part owner of the Chester Emery Mines. Ames came from a family of inventors and manufacturers. A close relative, John Ames, made many important mechanical developments in modern machine-made paper. James originally worked manufacturing cutlery and edge weapons in his father’s [Nathan P. Ames, Sr.] factory. “In 1834, he removed to Chicopee Center, where the Ames Manufacturing Company was established, with Edmund Dwight, of Boston, president, James T. Ames, superintendent, and Nathan P. Ames [Jr.], agent. The company made contracts with the United States government for a lot of swords. Mr. [James T.] Ames had a rare genius for inventions ; in company with General James of Rhode Island, he invented a ball that was afterwards patented, and out of which grew the necessity of rifled cannon. During the War of the Rebellion he had large contracts with the government for the making of swords, cannon, and for military accoutrements, and also secured a contract for government mail bags. … Mr. Ames was the first to introduce bronze statuary work in the United States. His first work was the construction of the Washington statue, in Union Square, New York. The bronze doors of the Senate extension of the National Capitol at Washington were made under his supervision, and “were masterly specimens of his genius, and famous as triumphs of art. … In 1856, he went to England, where he obtained several important contracts, one of which was to furnish the Enfield Arms Works (controlled by the English government) with machinery for the manufacture of guns of the same pattern as that used at the Springfield Armory. He also obtained a contract for similar machinery for the Birmingham Small Arms Works. He visited France and interested Napoleon in the machinery used in the manufacture of arms. He met and became acquainted with the designer of the Crystal Palace; through his friendship he was enabled to meet nearly all the prominent mechanical engineers of Europe. He furnished Spain with machinery for the making of arms. He was one of the first to engage in silver plating in this country. He was much interested in mineralogy and had an unusual and rare collection of minerals. He was a skillful carver in wood, unique figures of which he often presented to his friends as keepsakes.” (Chapin,C.W. 1893). See also Van Slyck (1879). Because of C. U. Shepard’s acceptance of the philosophy of external characters of minerals, his new minerals were consequently closely scrutinized by his brother-in-law, James D. Dana and other family members. Amesite was quickly relegated to varietal status under the chlorite Shepard had named corundophilite, also from the Chester Emery Mines.
Amesite was re-established as a species by Shannon (1920), although he continued to refer to amesite as a chlorite. Gruner (1944) demonstrated that amesite is a serpentine.

Type Locality: Chester Emery Mines, Chester, Hampden County, Massachusetts, USA